The invention relates to a support element for upholstering on a vehicle seat.
A support element of this kind comprises a large surface area base region which is designed and provided for fitting on the back of the upholstery and which is set up to take up and distribute the compressive forces which occur when a vehicle occupant leans on the front side of the upholstery. A support element of this kind is provided in particular for fitting between the backrest upholstery of a vehicle seat and a curved element which extends along the back of the backrest upholstery and whose position and/or curvature can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device in order to be able to adapt the curvature of the backrest upholstery to the needs of the various different vehicle occupants.
A backrest for vehicle seats is known from DE 36 19 188 C1 where the upholstery padding can be adjusted by means of a curved element in the form of two leaf springs wherein a pressure distributing plate is mounted between the leaf springs and the padding.
By fitting a support element e.g. in the form of a pressure distributor plate between the curved element and the backrest padding, the curved element does not act on the upholstery direct but rather through the support element which is designed so that—even with a more marked curvature of the curved element—it ensures a large surface ergonomic support of the back region of the vehicle occupant. More particularly it is achieved through the large surface area support element that during each adjustment of the curved element the support for the back of the relevant vehicle occupant adapts to the contour of the relevant back region, i.e.,—the curvature of a sufficiently flexible (elastically arching) support element is determined not only by the adjustment of the curved element but also at the same time by the contour of the back part of the relevant vehicle occupant and is thereby adapted ergonomically in optimum manner.